Our Senate members are trying to reach some kind of a compromise with Democrats over how many billions of dollars to agree for an obscenely, massive, social, political or “spending” bill, (not a stimulus or bailout) due to the false pretense of calling it a job creation bill. Also, hundreds of millions more ($650 million) being proposed for climate change “research” under the dubious banner of stimulating the economy.

Only 22 percent of Americans approve of the spending bill, 47 percent are against it due to its failure to put people back to work or to get our economy immediately working again. Let’s take a look at some of the stimulus bill “investments.”

1) It would send $50 billion to groups like ACORN, which is under federal investigation for voter fraud.

2) Spends $700 million on digital TV coupons.

3) $600 million for new cars for the federal government.

4) $6 billion for colleges and universities, many of which already have billion dollar endowments.

5) $50 million in funding for the National Endowment of the Arts.

6) $150 million for the Smithsonian Institution.

7) $44 million for repairs to U.S. Department of Agriculture headquarters in Washington, D.C.

8) Establishes at least 32 new government programs at a cost of more than $136 billion (we really need).

9) Increases by 7 million the number of people who get a check back from the IRS for an amount that exceeds what they paid in payroll and income taxes, just socialism.

In order to see more pork in this spending bill, consider:

a) $70 billion to get the public to quit smoking.

b) $400 billion to study sexually transmitted disease education.

c) $600 million for a dog park.

d) Untold funds to convert cars to electric plug-ins.

e) $1 billion to AmTrak.

f) $27 billion to extend unemployment benefits, plus $9 billion to increase the average unemployment benefits by $25 per week (stimulus for the unemployed).

g) $1 billion to provide funds for states to collect child support (stimulus for state police)

h) $500 million to Social Security Administration to help process backlogged claims (stimulus for Washington bureaucrats).

i) $400 million to Social Security to replace their old computer system (stimulus for Microsoft and Dell).

These are not immediate ways to put people to work, which is the so-called reason for all this spending. In fact, only 17 percent of this bill will be spent in the first year. In fact, most of the spending will occur in years three and four.

There is $355 billion set aside for roads, bridges and infrastructure – all needed, but just not in this bill. They could and should go under normal spending legislation.

Never in the history of America has so much money been spent so quickly without real discussion. The president made a big mistake by allowing Congress, spelled Reid and Pelosi, to write the bill. He trusted them and all they did was make a liberal wish list of the past 12 years, feeling the two of them run the country, not the president. His second mistake was keeping their $837 billion bill – accepting and supporting it as Democrats only drew it up.

He has decided to use various scare tactics to get it approved. If it fails the president says the end of the world awaits us. Fear tactics are not leadership.

Even Democrat Barney Frank says that half of the bill is not stimulus at all, the other half as he says, “goes to people who need funds.” This is just re-distribution of taxpayer money to minorities and illegals – plain old socialism.

A perfect example is this spending bill changes funds that previously went to churches for distribution to the needy – called “faith based initiatives.” These funds are now to be given to “community group” social programs, to help low income families – they are supposed to be closer to the people. I suppose they can’t go to church.

It is impossible to put an accurate figure on the spending bill as the figure changes daily. It started at $827 billion from the House. The Senate then raised it to $927 billion, but days later it’s back to $827 billion, just where it started, with interest it is $1.3 trillion.

Three RINOs (Republicans in name only); Collins, Snow and Specter voted with the Democrats, giving them the 60 votes they needed to get it passed. Then the bill went go to “conference committee” between the House and Senate for a final figure. All we can hope for is that a few Democrats come to their senses and won’t vote for the bill as is, to keep us from this “European Union Socialism Act of 2008.”

Have you heard under the first bailout bill (TARP) that the Treasury paid $78 billion of the original $700 billion for various banks assets – now just discovered to be a $78 billion overpayment and they are saying the money is just “lost” and wasted? Seems no one ever appraised the assets they bought. It seems they can’t even list the names of the banks and how much each received.

Can it even be determined who approved those overpayments? Where is the “transparency” we were promised during the campaign? It was supposed to be all openness, among the many changes promised.

Now, with this spending bill, the House and Senate neither will list what the bill actually contains; listed here is but a small look – it’s actually 727 pages long. Wonder how many congressmen have even read it?

Will the public ever get to see the entire bill? I doubt it, they don’t dare fully disclose its contents. The American public would rise up in anger like never before.

So much for bi-partisanship, Nancy Pelosi refused to even let Republicans in the room when they were putting their “wish list” together. This way Republicans couldn’t add amendments and help produce the bill. Is this what was promised?

One more “shocking” disclosure. Did you ever wonder why, when the economic crisis first hit and Congress let Bear Stearns go under and a bunch of banks were forced to merge, we had one insurance company, AIG, that received a bailout?

Now the real reason comes out – AIG insures the Pension Trust Fund of the United States Congress. They were among the first to get bailed out. These senators and congressman said (to themselves), let’s protect, for sure, our future. Sure nice to see where their loyalties lie.

Most discouraging is the fact the administration, because this bill doesn’t help credit, banks, housing or employment, is already talking bout needing another $1.4 trillion spending bill.

Robert E. Beckner lives in Majestic Oaks with his wife, Sarah. He is a retired private investigator and insurance adjuster. He has also been a photographer and served with the Military Police in the Marine Corps.